


Scandal

by PinkPandorafrog



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Regency, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-30
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 16:59:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3257486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkPandorafrog/pseuds/PinkPandorafrog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regency-AU: Darcy's parents are having another fete in the interest of finding her a suitable husband. Luckily, Darcy's friend Steve is willing to help her get around it. Mostly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scandal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [neverending_shenanigans](https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverending_shenanigans/gifts).



> This is more Regency-esque than straight Regency. Written for neverending_shenanigans for the 2015 Steve/Darcy Valentine's Fic Exchange- I hope you like it!
> 
> SUPER thank you to secondalto for your awesome beta skills!! Any remaining errors are fully mine and mine alone.

“Steve!” Darcy stood and moved quickly across the room to where her friend was standing in the doorway, hands outstretched. “It's good to see you.” She let her eyes move over him, he looked just the same as always. Tall, blond, his hair just a bit ruffled in the front because it would never do what he wanted it to. “I wasn't expecting you.” Not expecting him, perhaps, but she'd been hoping he would visit. She had something she wanted to speak with him about.

He gave her one of his broad smiles, taking her hands in his and bowing over them. Her mother would have a fit if she saw that, but her mother wasn't there. “I had some business in town. How are you?”

“Quite well. I was actually hoping you'd stop by before it was time to head back home.”

She could see the gleam of suspicion in his eye. He knew her well enough to know that words like that were quite often the precursor to something that she maybe wasn't supposed to be doing. Still, he let her draw him to the nearby sofa and sat down beside her.

“What is it this time, Darcy? I'm not taking you racing again, you nearly got killed last time.” He managed to sound both censorious and amused at the same time.

She waved her hand airily, as though she was waving away the memory. “You know that my parents are hosting their annual Valentine's fete?” She couldn't quite keep in the eyeroll at the end of the sentence. Really, it was just another excuse for her parents to hold a party and try to find someone who wasn't frightened off by their daughter's _scandalous_ ways. The same as it was at Easter. And Christmas. And New Year's. And whatever other holiday they could come up with that they could invite the entire ton to.

“Yes. In fact, I have the invitation on me.” He patted his pocket as if to show her.

She rolled her eyes again. She couldn't help it, even the thought of her parents seemed to bring it out in her. “I need a favor.”

“What?” He knew better than to just agree without hearing the favor first, he'd learned his lesson a long time ago.

“You need to be my escort.” She was giving him her most serious face, trying to impress the importance of what she was asking.

He looked at her for a moment. “Why, exactly?”

“So that I'm not subjected to a train of completely inappropriate men who will either step on my feet or try and take liberties. Just because I have a large bosom, doesn't mean it's alright to smother in it. I have a face, too, and a mind.”

Steve, sweet man that he was, went slightly pink and resolutely kept his eyes on hers. “And a very fine mind it is.”

She shook her head, sighing. “I swear, you and Thor are the only men alive who think so. Jane is a lucky, lucky woman.”

“Why am I lucky?” The clear voice of Darcy's friend called their attention to the doorway, where Jane was standing, a bit of a smile on her face.

Steve was immediately on his feet. “Jane.” He moved over to her and took one of her hands between his own, bowing over it. He and Thor were quite good friends, and Thor was from somewhere else that thought the rigid societal rules were amusing rather than something that needed to be adhered to.

Darcy made a face. Jane really was lucky. It would be so nice if she just could skip this whole tedious courting thing and wake up one day married to the perfect man. Of course, that would mean finding such a man...

“Thor values your intelligence.” It was hard not to sound a little sulky. Most men only saw Darcy's bosom, and got quite offended to learn she actually had thoughts and opinions beyond, 'Whatever you think.'

Jane had a very earnest smile on her face now. She'd just been married the past December, and she still just _glowed_ every time she thought about her husband. “He does.”

Darcy couldn't help but smile a little at her friend's happiness. “I told Captain Rogers that he has to be my escort at my parents' dreadful Valentine's fete.”

Jane raised an eyebrow. “Why, dear?”

“So I don't have to fish anyone out of the front of my dress again.” Darcy gave Steve an imploring look. “Please? It'll keep them from pushing those doe-eyed ninnies at you.”

He went slightly pink again. They'd discussed the unwanted matchmaking efforts of Darcy's parents before, at great lengths. “Alright.”

Darcy clapped, giving him a happy grin. He took his leave after that, bidding both Darcy and Jane goodbye before leaving the way he'd come in.

* * *

 

 _Steve does cut quite a figure in his uniform._ Darcy couldn't help but admire her friend as he neared. “Miss Lewis, you're simply radiant this evening.”

She grinned up at him. “Oh, don't, _Captain Rogers_. It's just me, you needn't impress me.” She fell in step beside him, appreciating that he slowed his strides to match hers. “I suppose we should go and greet my family.” She didn't especially want to, but it was the proper thing to do. And perhaps just seeing her with the army captain would be enough to stop them from pushing random men in her direction.

She directed them over to where her family was holding court. Her mother was standing, fanning herself, Father beside her, Grandmother sitting in a chair on Mother's other side with her pince-nez perched precariously on the bridge of her nose. She always gave off the impression of being able to see _everything_.

“Mother, Father, you remember Captain Rogers.”

Steve offered them a crisp bow, which Father returned and Mother acknowledged with an incline of her head. Grandmother was watching them with sharp eyes. She didn't speak, but there was always a quality about the way she looked at you that made Darcy want to hide behind the curtains.

Father was making polite inquiries of Steve, and Mother gestured Darcy closer. “I took the liberty of signing you up for the Maria Stark Foundation's auction,” she murmured behind her fan.

Darcy raised her eyebrows, deploying her own fan and waving it slowly in front of her face to hide her reply. “Captain Rogers is my escort this evening, surely that would be poor manners on my part.”

“Then you should have informed me ahead of time. Surely the captain has better manners than to ask a lady to accompany him at the last minute?” The question was very pointed, as though Mother suspected what had really happened.

Darcy pursed her lips. There was nothing really to say to that. She couldn't very well admit that she'd basically forced Steve to accompany her. Nor did she really want to lie and say that he had asked her at the last minute, he wouldn't be deemed _appropriate_. Not only that, but her mother knew that while Darcy's manners had caused her to be sent off to visit Jane and Thor until the talk died down, Steve's own manners were impeccable. _At least in public_. He'd been a friend to the family since early childhood, so some liberties were to be allowed, but treating Darcy like anything less than a lady was simply unacceptable. Mother would probably see right through any lie she told.

Darcy could feel Grandmother's eyes on her. “Rogers, you say?” she asked, her tone sharp, cutting off Father mid-sentence. “I knew a Rogers when I was a girl, he was nothing more than a gambler and a cheat.”

Steve went slightly pink, and Darcy wanted nothing more than to flee to the far side of the room and indulge in entirely too many sweets. “I assure you, good madam, I am neither.” He offered her a slight bow, one of his charming smiles on his face.

She sniffed. “We shall see.” Her eyes came back to Darcy, and the urge to flee got just a little stronger.

Thankfully, though, rescue came from Darcy's escort. “Miss Lewis, I believe the next dance is mine,” he told her, offering her a bow with one hand held out.

“Yes, thank you.” She placed her gloved hand in his and allowed him to escort her out to the dance floor. Steve was an excellent dancer, it helped that they'd practically learned together as children. When they were well away from her parents, she sighed. “Mother signed me up for the auction.”

“That's good, right? More money for the orphans?” His expression was completely guileless, he actually believed this was a positive thing.

“No. Now I'm going to have to dance with someone who's going to step all over my feet or won't be able to pull his eyes out of the front of my gown.” She paused for a moment. “Or both. Likely both.” There was no point in asking if Steve would be able to rescue her. He was a captain in the army, but there were easily a couple dozen men in the room whose salaries were higher than his.

When they'd finished dancing, he led her to the side of the room, away from her parents. She could still practically _feel_ Grandmother's eyes on them.

Although, even though she still would have to suffer through the auction, she noticeably wasn't besieged by the normal parade of men that her parents steered in her direction. Nor did Steve have to put up with the breathy whispers and batted eyelashes that usually followed him in droves. It was a fairly pleasant night, all things considered.

That was, however, until Lady Stark stood up and called attention to herself. Everyone had been shocked when the notorious rake Lord Stark had married Miss Pepper Potts. She was a formidable woman to be sure, Darcy privately thought she would give Grandmother a run for her money when she was that age. But it was she who was in charge of the charity auction, and thusly all eyes turned to her.

“Good evening,” she greeted with a pleasant smile. Darcy rolled her eyes and tuned out the following words, casting her attention instead around the room, trying to see who looked the most eager for the bidding to begin. The word _waltz_ pulled her attention, though, as did the resulting murmur of voices that traveled around the room.

“Did she just say ' _waltz_?'” Darcy hissed to Steve from behind her fan. Everyone knew _how_ to waltz, of course, but it simply wasn't done in respectable company. Apparently, though, it was going to be done that evening. Lady Stark looked entirely comfortable having declared it so. Behind her, Lord Stark was looking almost unbearably smug- of course this had been his idea.

“Will the young ladies taking part in the auction please step forward?”

Darcy wanted to flee. Now she was going to have to tolerate the no-doubt sweaty and too-close embrace of one of the men who'd been not-so-discretely eying her all evening. But she put her shoulders back, lifted her chin, and went over to join the line of young ladies spreading out beside Lady Stark. She stared out at the room without seeing anyone, hardly breathing as Lady Stark went along the line to auction off a waltz with the young ladies.

Darcy heard her own name called and took a half-step forward, chin resolutely up. It came as somewhat of a shock when she heard Grandmother's voice shouting over the men who clamored to offer for her.

There was a bit of a pause when everyone realized that Grandmother had just won, as though they weren't sure what to do. Even Lady Stark seemed slightly bemused.

Grandmother had been widowed many, many years ago, and rumor suggested that she had a very tidy sum of money sitting somewhere. She did as she pleased, with the excuse that she was old and practically seeming to issue a challenge to get her to stop, every time. No one ever dared. For all that she was a bit of a tyrant, Darcy loved her grandmother, and doubly so when she realized what had happened.

Grandmother stood from her chair, rapping her stout cane on the floor. “I've won, good and proper, and I would like to gift my waltz to Captain Rogers.”

Even from across the room, Darcy could see the twinkle in her relative's eye as Grandmother sat back down. The room was buzzing with talk again, and a look over showed that Steve had gone rather pink.

Darcy couldn't hold back her grin. This was a relief. Thor had taught her and Steve to waltz together, and he was definitely better than some old letch whose hands might stray a little too far down. She forced herself into a sedate walk as she went back over to him, telling herself to send Grandmother a heartfelt thank you note in addition to a bottle of her favorite brandy.

The bidding concluded when the last young lady had been spoken for, and then Lady Stark was urging the couples to take their spots on the dance floor.

Steve offered Darcy his hand, and she took it and let him draw her out into the center of the room. He kept ahold of her hand, his other arm going behind her shoulders. Her free hand went on his arm, just the way they'd been shown, and they waited.

The music started. As they swept about the room, Darcy couldn't help but notice how _good_ it felt to be in Steve's arms like that. It felt familiar, it felt... It felt right. She looked up to see him staring down at her, the intensity in his blue eyes making her flush for once. It felt like they were floating around the room, their feet barely touching the floor.

When the music finished, Darcy was reluctant to let go. But she did, stepping away as propriety dictated. “Thank you, Captain Rogers,” she murmured, giving him a small smile.

“It was my pleasure, Miss Lewis.”

She wanted nothing more than to do it again and again and again, but even Lord Stark wouldn't be able to order more than one waltz in an evening. “I should go and thank Grandmother.”

He stayed by her side as she moved across the room to where Grandmother was giving the pair of them a sharp eye. When they neared, before either got a chance to say anything, Grandmother planted her cane on the floor and pulled herself to her feet. “I'm in need of some air. You'll accompany me.” The way her eye moved over the two of them left no doubt that she was addressing both of them.

She took Steve's arm, the other moving her cane across the floor, although Darcy always privately thought Grandmother only kept the cane to rap people across the knuckles with it. She followed, slightly behind and to her elder's other side.

“Don't walk behind me, girl, you'll step on my skirts. On the other side, over by Rogers.”

Darcy passed behind the two of them and fell in step on Steve's other side. She didn't dare look over at either one of them, just kept her eyes trained in front of her.

Grandmother directed them along the hall, away from the grand ballroom. They kept walking until they stopped passing the clusters of young women who'd come out of the ballroom for a break, on into the private part of the house.

Suddenly she stopped, pulling them up short. “I'm afraid I need something to drink.” She let go of her hold on Steve's arm, and moved over to sit on one of the elegant chairs to the side of the hall. “Darcy, show Rogers into the parlor and fetch me a glass of brandy.”

Sure enough, they'd stopped outside the large family parlor. Grandmother was fussing with her skirts, settling the fabric around her legs. “Goodness, child, are you waiting for Christmas? Go on with you.” There was a stern look on her face, but a twinkle in her eye. “And don't be too quick, I need a moment to myself.”

Darcy couldn't stop her grin. She grabbed Steve's arm and pulled him into the other room, leaving the door open just a crack. Once in the other room, she let go of him and stood facing him, looking up into his clear blue eyes.

“Darcy, I-”

She didn't give him a chance to finish. With one hand on his shoulder to steady herself, she went up on her toes and caught her other hand behind his neck to pull him down for a kiss. It was hardly even a kiss, just a brush of her lips against his.

She lowered herself back to her heels and stood looking up at him, eyes flicking back and forth between his as she waited for a response.

She didn't have long to wait. His arms came out and locked around her waist, pulling her against him. His mouth was moving over hers, tongue dipping between her lips and doing things that curled her toes.

When at last they parted, Steve had a broad smile on his face. He didn't release her, just held her to him and looked down into her face. “I think I need to have a talk with your father,” he said after long moment, then ducked his head to meet her lips again.

 


End file.
